I've noticed that certain old-time razor honing set-ups tended to be on smaller side, along the lines of 4" x 2" or 5" x 2", whereas the current trend is more towards larger stones like 8" x 3". What's to account for this?
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I've noticed that certain old-time razor honing set-ups tended to be on smaller side, along the lines of 4" x 2" or 5" x 2", whereas the current trend is more towards larger stones like 8" x 3". What's to account for this?
Even 1" by 4" and other lengths.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
My SWAG is that a guy had one razor he could refresh occasionally and he knew how to do it. Not like us with a selection and trying to hone and shave with each one that comes in the the door. The old timers often had a guy come through town or the local barber who would hone a blade that needed it for a small fee.
JMO
~Richard
That's how it was in Puerto Rico when I was growing up. He will come around in a little truck with all the equipment. My grandmother used to own a beauty salon and she will also straight shave male clients. The guy will show up every couple of weeks and my grandmother just handed him the razors and scissors and to work he went.Quote:
Originally Posted by Geezer
You couldn't missed him, he used to play this loud whistle with a unique sound, you knew it was him a mile away.
Good memories!
Would be incredibly cool to see what tools he used.Quote:
Originally Posted by hrfdez
Most of the "old-time razor honing set-ups" were smaller because they were quite sufficient for the task. The Nortons, Naniwas, Shaptons, etc. that we are using are not made to serve as razor hones. They are made to be tool and knife hones, and for those purposes they need to be larger.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
Indeed. I was a kid, so I didn't really know what to look for at the time. I know he had several stones and buffing wheels he powered with a bicycle crank.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikael86
This has sort of been my thinking leading up to my query. Razor honing being such a small share of the present market, there is no desire from manufacturers to market a format for razors right now. Still, I've read comments to the effect that "the ideal razor hone should be around as wide as the blade is long," or something like that. Me, with hand-holding, I'm starting think that the length of the razor hone should be just a bit longer than the length of the blade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Barbers could easily carry a small hone in their shirt pocket or have a small hone on the counter.
My barber had his in his smock pocket. A little lather, couple of laps, strop, next!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
Yes, my current barber carried his the same way, until the laws made him change to disposable blades.
Recently picked up this sequence: 1k, 6k, honyama for the finish. Works great, although there is a little trick as to its effective application. ;-)
220 silicon carbide water-stone at 1-3/8" x 4" x 1/2" for lapping instead of the coarse DMT? Just to keep things small?
Attachment 244369
In the olden days hones were made entirely by hand making them relatively expensive. Larger ones being rare and sought after made them very expensive. I have honed many razors successfully on a 1x4" Thuringer.
